Ribbon-cutting celebrates new I-95 lanes

Officials cut the ribbon Tuesday to celebrate the successful I-95 expansion project.

Virginia and local elected officials gathered Tuesday to celebrate the imminent opening of three additional Interstate 95 lanes through Fredericksburg and Stafford County.

The ceremony was held at the Virginia Welcome Center near the Virginia Credit Union Stadium off I-95. The Rappahannock River Crossing project, which has been under construction for five years, will officially open by 4:30 Friday morning (it had been scheduled for Thursday morning but got pushed back to Friday, as crews needed more time to finish paving).

The Virginia Department of Transportation is warning travelers to expect delays on I-95 northbound in the Fredericksburg area through Friday morning as crews reopen the original northbound Rappahannock River Bridge and shift traffic into its final alignment between Exit 130 (State Route 3) in Fredericksburg and Exit 133 (U.S. 17) in Stafford County.

With lane closures occurring within peak travel periods, drivers with destinations outside of the Fredericksburg region are encouraged to seek alternate routes until Friday morning. Local motorists should access I-95 at Exit 126 (Spotsylvania County) or Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) interchanges to avoid delays with the work zone.

By early Friday, all six northbound lanes spanning the Rappahannock River will open for traffic, doubling the capacity before the Thanksgiving holiday. There are also now six southbound lanes in the stretch between Exits 133 and 130.